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Adam Thierer: Parents, you possess controls, so use them
WASHINGTON -
... Parents now have multiple layers of protection at their disposal to shield their children from potentially objectionable media content or to protect them while they are online. These tools include the various content rating and labeling systems, the V-chip, set-top box parental controls (including gaming console controls), personal video recorders, Internet and mobile media filtering and screening services, monitoring tools, and so on. ... Critics can always argue that media, communications and Internet companies should “do more” to address the concerns that parents have, but it’s important to realize that they are already doing quite a bit. Of course, whether parents are taking advantage of those tools and options is another matter entirely. But if, for whatever reason, parents are not taking advantage of these tools and options, their inaction should not be used to justify government regulation as a surrogate for household/parental choice. Parents have been empowered. It is now their responsibility to take advantage of the tools and controls at their disposal to determine what is acceptable in their homes and in the lives of their children. Read more at www.pff.org. |